Bet it known that I, NATHAN SCHOLFIELD, of Norwich, New London county,
and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful
Improvements in Shells and other Projectiles to be fired from a Gun: and I
do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description
thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of
this specification.

My improvement consists in a peculiar mode of applying and protecting a
fuze to ignite an explosive shell, and also peculiar modes of attaching
and operating folding wings or guides to govern the direction of shells or
other projectiles.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a shell containing the
improvements. Figs. 3, 4, 6, and 9 are surface views of a projectile,
showing the improved modes of attaching and operating guiding-wings
thereon. Fig. 5 is a transverse section, showing the relative positions of
the wings thereon and their sectional forms. Figs. 7 and 8 are modified
forms of guiding-wings.

In the rear end of the shell A. Fig. 1, is screwed a fuze-stock, B C D,
which holds the fuze and protects it and the powder within the cavity of
the shell from the force and direct action of the explosion of the charge
within the gun. Within the fuze-stock is a fuze-chamber, E, and a
vent-chamber, F, separated from each other by a diaphragm, D, having a
perforation, d, with a conical enlargement on the side opening to the
vent-chamber; and in this aperture is inserted a protecting-plug, e, with
a conical point corresponding to the conical cavity, and having a very
small perforation through its axis. The rear end of this protecting-plug
is of a size corresponding to that of the bore in the rear end of the
fuze-stock. In the rear end of this stock is inserted a safety-screw, F,
having a cavity, f, forming the vent-chamber, and a small perforation in
its axis giving it a connection with the charge of powder in the gun which
acts thereon.

B is a closing-cap to secure the fuze-chamber from the powder in the
shell, and is soldered in its place after the fuze is inserted. This has
also a conical cavity opening inward through its axis, for inserting and
securing the fuze. The end of the fuze-cord is entered from the
fuze-chamber E through the conical orifice of the diaphragm D. This end of
the cord is then opened and expanded by inserting the conical point of the
holding-plug e, which should previously be coated, while warm, with wax or
some plastic and adhesive substance, and the outside of the fuze-cord, at
and near it junction with the conical plug, should afterward also be
coated with the same material, and while in a plastic state the
protecting-plug thus connected with the fuze should be pressed into the
conical aperture by the safety-screw F, and in this manner the fuze will
be held tightly, and no flame from the explosive action of the charge can
be forced into the fuze-chamber, except that acting through the small
perforation through the axis of the conical protecting-plug, which acts
directly on the central grains of fuze-powder of the cord, and is sure to
ignite the fuze. The fuze is coiled up within the fuze-chamber, and the
end (after an enlargement a little distance therefrom, either by winding
it with twine or thread well coated with wax or by coating the cord with
wax alone or some adhesive material) is drawn through the orifice in the
closing-cap B, bringing the enlargement hard into the conical cavity of
the said cap. The cap is then inserted in its place and soldered securely
to the fuze-stock, making the chamber perfectly tight and inaccessible
both front and rear, except through the center of the fuze-cord, and so
that the powder in the shell can be reached only by igniting the fuze. The
interstitial space around the fuze-cord within the fuze-chamber should be
completely filled with gypsum, molten rosin, pitch, or any substance which
may become rigid after having been in a plastic state, while at moderate
temperature, or may be filled in like manner with sand or any material
which would obstruct the free transmission of flame from one part of the
fuze-cord to another, if by possibility it should be forced through the
surface of the cord, although its legitimate action is to vent itself
while burning by following it coils in the center thereof and to the rear
through the perforation in the protecting-plug, into the vent-chamber, and
through the safety-screw. If the fuze-cord is sufficiently protected by
coating it with some adhesive protecting material, the filling of the
interstices in the fuze-chamber may be dispensed with.

b is a ring or collar of leather screwed on the extension of the
safety-screw, and of a size just sufficient to enter the bore of the gun
by slight pressure, and supersedes the use of a wad between the powder and
the projectile.

The rear portion of the projectile, for about half its length, is
turned a little small than the bore of the gun in which it is to be fired,
to allow thin metallic wings W, Figs. 3, 4, 6, and 9, which consist of
thin cylindric segments, to be applied thereon, and yet enter the bore;
but a narrow rib or ledge, l, is left just at the rear end of nearly the
full size of the bore. Across this ledge, and of its full depth, are made
three grooves, i, parallel to the axis of the projectile, and at equal
distances from each other on its circumference, and also corresponding
grooves in the surface of the projectile forward of the recess turned for
guiding-wings. These grooves, thus cut, serve as recesses for the journals
on which the wings are hung. These wings are made of thin sheets of metal,
so curved as to correspond with the cylindric surface of the projectile,
and are soldered or otherwise fastened on one of their edges to wires, on
which they may turn as journals, which are placed in the grooves I, above
referred to, and when in place thin metallic collars or rings r, Fig. 4,
are applied thereon to hold them secure. These rings may both be soldered
in their places, allowing the journals to turn freely; or the ring or
collar to secure the rear journals may be soldered or otherwise fastened
to the flange of the breech-screw, so as to slide on and cover the
journals and hold them in place, allowing free action thereto. A spring,
S, of wire, (steel or brass is preferred,) is then soldered at one end to
the concave surface of the wing, toward the rear, as shown at n, and is so
formed that when free, and when the wing is extended in a radial position
from the surface, the anterior end shall coincide with a groove, k, a
little distance from the journal and from the concave surface of the ring.
The ring r, Fig. 4, being then put in place, will secure it therein, and
this spring, being forced from its natural position by the folding down of
the wing, will, if of proper force and elasticity, always throw the wing
up again when left free.

The spring S, instead of being soldered to the wing, may be made fast
to the surface of the projectile at r, and pass through a small loop or
bracket, t, Fig. 3, on the concave surface of the wing, with like result;
or the spring, being thus fastened to the projectile, may act on the
concave surface of the wing only by contact, without any fixed connection
thereto, in which case the wing should be so soldered to the axis on its
concave side as to bring its back edge in contact with the surface of the
projectile when extended, so as to form a positive limit to its action,
and so that in expanding it cannot pass beyond radical positions on the
surface, as shown at Fig. 5, which is a transverse section thereof. The
springs may also be attached by soldering or otherwise fastening them
firmly both to the wing and surface of the projectile, as at Fig. 6, where
the spring S is soldered to the wing at n, near its axis, and to the
surface of the projectile at p, which is also as near the axis as
practicable. If this connection is made when the spring is in a free
state, and while the wing is extended in a radial position, it will always
return to that position, when left free, after the wing has been folded
down.

Instead of fastening journals to the wings and applying them in
sockets, wire studs or loops w may be fastened firmly to the surface at
the rear and forward extremities of the recess for wings, and
corresponding loops, y, on the edge of the wing, formed either by folding
a lip or projection of the sheet, as in z z, Fig. 7, or by forming a loop
in the end of the wires constituting the axis, or any other small wires
soldered or otherwise fastened to the wing, so as thereby to form
connections with the studs or loops on the projectile, on which they may
act as joints; and for this purpose those on the surface of the projectile
may consist of pieces of wire w', made secure in the grooves, which have
been described above, and projecting therefrom over the recess for the
wings, and either with or without being turned down and soldered to the
surface at their projected extremities; or, instead of the studs w, a
wire, x, Fig. 9, may extend across the recess on which to suspend the
wings.

The wings, Figs. 7 and 8, may also be applied, as at Fig. 9, by
applying springs S and S', of wire, soldered to the concave surface of the
wing at n and n, and each passing through the opposite loop z and into the
grooves or recesses i, where they are firmly fastened, by which means the
wings are connected securely to the projectile and act freely thereon.
These springs may, if preferred, consist of a cord of extremely fine wires
twisted together, by which means they will be more pliable and elastic,
and will sustain greater tension and force.

Instead of wire springs for actuating the wings, the anterior portion
of the wing may be made very narrow and extend forward at or nearly to the
extreme anterior portion of the cylindric part of the shell, and fastened
firmly thereto at that point by soldering or otherwise securing it flat on
the surface. This anterior portion may then be twisted, so that the broad
or rear portion of the wing shall stand nearly upright, or radial to the
surface when in a free state, and if the metal composing the anterior or
twisted portion of the wing is sufficiently elastic it will yield to
force, so as to allow the wing to be folded down on the surface, and will
again elevate it therefrom when free.

Fig. 8, with the dotted-line extension, represents a wing of this
description in proper condition to be applied, requiring to be connected
by a loop, w, in the middle and a loop or a journal at the rear end.

The position of the springs, Figs. 3, 4, 6, may be reversed from the
position there shown by connecting them to the anterior portion of the
wing and at the rear end of the projectile; but the plan as shown is
greatly preferred.

Having thus at length described my invention and its several modes of
application, I wish it understood that I do not in this claim the
construction or application of guiding-wings, in any of their varieties,
to a projectile.

What I claim as my invention, and for which I solicit Letters Patent,
is -

1. The application of a perforated conical protecting-plug, e, Fig. 1,
penetrating the end of the fuze-cord, and the connecting it thereto by
some plastic and adhesive substance, and also inserting this, with the
fuze-cord, in place in the conical cavity opening from the fuze to the
vent-chamber, for the purpose of securing more perfectly the ignition of
the fuze, while the flame from the discharge of the gun is prevented from
passing in outside the fuze, or of forcing the fuze inward, substantially
as described.

2. Opening and expanding the end of the fuze-cord and applying it under
the seat of a protecting-plug, e, Fig. 2, and causing the plug to be
pressed firmly thereon, so as to secure it from being forced through the
aperture by the discharge.